Archery sighting device



Oct. 18, 1966 B Y ETAL 3,279,071

ARCHERY SIGHTING DEVICE Filed Dec. 11, 1964 INVENTORS 0. 5/4 YEu BYABR7 f2. ES MDER ROBERT United States Patent M Calif.

Filed Dec. 11, 1964, Ser'. No. 417,608 14 Claims. (Cl. 33-46) The present invention relates to sighting devices and, more particularly, to an archery sighting device for correction of either or both the bow cant about the central longitudinal sight axis of the bow toward the intended target as well as the horizontally-applied torque or twist about a vertical axis through the bow.

In the past, it has been difiicult to provide a suitable archery sighting device which will properly align the bow as well as the arrow with respect to an intended target because of the inherent instability of the bow as it is held outstretched in one hand of an archer and because of the physical characteristics of a bow in that it is relatively tall and thin. In the firearm art, sighting devices are not usually so physically restricted because of the ability to space apart certain sighting points on the firearm which can be readily aligned with an intended target. However, in the archery sighting art, it is not physically practical to provide for sighting points which can be widely spaced apart in the longitudinal or sighting direction. Therefore, archery sights generally have been limited to various means of providing for tilting or canting of the bow in a nominally vertical plane which includes the bow and the intended target, thus providing a range adjustment, and various means of providing for lateral offset of the line of sight, thus providing a wind drift adjustment. However, such prior art archery sighting devices have not provided adequate means for assuring the elimination of tilting or canting as well as for correction of twisting or torquing of the how about a vertical axis, both of which factors tend to detract from the effectiveness of the range and wind adjustment factors as well as imparting uncontrollable and unpredictable angular and torsional forces to the arrow. Therefore, prior sighting devices are limited with reference to shooting accuracy.

Various other conventional sighting devices employ means in the form of a pendulum-like device mounted within a sighting tube or a bubble tube in combination with a sighting line. However, these devices have been found to be unsuitable for achieving a high degree of accuracy and have been found to be easily damaged as well as unreliable.

The present invention obviates the problems encountered by prior archery sighting devices by incorporating into a single compact unit means for correcting bow displacement caused by rotational tilt about the longitudinal axis of the sight as well as correcting displacement of the bow caused by twisting or torquing of the bow about a vertical axis. Furthermore, the device of the present invention is easily mounted on the bow itself and may be readily secured to other sighting apparatus secured on the bow such as wind drift and range correction indicators. By properly employing the present invention, shooting accuracy is greatly enhanced. No pro-setting of or adjustments to the sighting device are required prior to shooting at a desired target other than the alignment of the sighting points during aiming.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a gravity responsive ball is mounted on an arcuate member of the device which permits correction for tilting or canting of the bow in a plane at right angles to the longitudinal sighting axis of the sight device While at least one vertical line, when aligned with the ball, operates to correct for twist or torque of the bow about a vertical axis of the bow. When properly sighted on an intended target, the vertical 3,279,071 Patented Oct. 18, 1966 line will be in alignment with the ball and the ball will appear to be bisected by the vertical line.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an archery sight which encompasses novel means for correcting for tilting or canting of the bow in a plane at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the sighting device.

Another object of the present invention is the incorporation into an archery sight having canting correction means of novel means for correcting twist or torque of the bow about some vertical axis of the bow.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an archery sighting device which will correct for both canting and twisting of the bow with respect to a designated target so that the projectile to be propelled by the bow is in alignment with the desired target.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an archery sighting device which is simple to manufacture, economical to construct, and rugged in construction. The device of the present invention meets these requirements as well as being small in size and readily adapted for mounting onto the bow itself or to a wind drift or elevation indicator or other sighting correction apparatus.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of an archery sight in accordance with the present invention mounted on a bow and having a portion broken away to illustrate details of assembly;

FIGURE 2 is a vertically sectioned view of the archery sight as seen along the line 22 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged view of the gravity responsive ball for tilting or canting correction employed in the archery sight of FIGURES 1 and 2 in the same aspect as FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of another embodiment of an archery sight in accordance with the present invention incorporating additional twist or torque correction means and illustrating the partial misalignment of the correction means; and

FIGURE 5 is a vertically sectioned view of the archery sight as seen substantially along line 5-5 in FIGURE 4.

In the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals, sometimes primed, refer to the same or similar elements in the various views and embodiments.

Referring to FIGURE 1, a portion of a bow 10 is shown to which is suitably mounted the sighting device of the present invention as indicated generally at 11. The bow 10 is illustrated having its upper and lower ends broken away so that the drawing illustrates only the sighting and arrow rest regions, the latter region :being indicated generally at 12. The bow may be of any suitable type; 'however, theillustrated portion of the bow is reduced in bow width to provide the shooting cavity or region 12 adapted for receiving the bow arrow (not shown) to be loosened or shot at an intended target.

The sighting device 11 is disposed in the approximate line of sight between the eye of the archer and the intended target to which the arrow is to be directed. Mounting of the sighting device may be by any suitable means; however, as illustrated, a mounting clamp or member, indicated generally in dash lines at 14, is fitted and secured to the sighting device 11 on one end and is fastened or secured to the bow 10 on its opposite end directly or to wind drift and/ or elevation correction means (not shown) as desired and conventionally so as to be movably adjustable therewith.

As shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, the sighting device 11 includes a hollow cylindrical sighting tube body 15 having an exterior annular groove 16 formed about its external periphery substantially in the center between the opposite ends of the body 15.- The groove 16 may be employed for receiving mounting fixtures for securing the sighting device onto the bow. Disposed within the bore of the tube, there is provided an integrally formed annular rib or shoulder 17. The shoulder or rib 17 is provided with a pair of opposing angularly disposed slots, such as slot 18 shown in FIGURE 1. The slots 18 are formed slightly above the central horizontal plane of the body 15 and are arranged to open into the bore of the sighting tube body 15.

An arcuate member 20 is disposed within the bore of the body 15 in such a manner that its opposite ends are received by the angular slots 18. Preferably, the arcuate member 20 is composed of spring metal so that its op posite ends may be readily fitted by spring tension into the receiving slots 18 provided in the rib 17. Inasmuch as a portion of the present inventions sighting device includes a gravity responsive ball 21, the arcuate member 20 is disposed within the tube body 15 in an upwardly concave manner. It is to be particularly noted that, with the opposite ends of the arcuate member 20 secured within the slots 18 so as to lay in a horizontal plane near and slightly above the longitudinal axis of the sighting tube body 15, the center of the arcuate member 20 resides slightly below the central horizontal plane of the tube body 15 and its apex or center coincides with the central vertical axis of the sighting tube body 15, with the ball 21 in alignment with the central longitudinal axis of the sighting device when it rests on the center of the arcuate member 20.

The arcuate member 20 is provided with a lengthwise groove 22 for partially receiving ball 21 in a manner such that the ball may be readily displaced along the arcuate member 20 along the groove 22. The present arrangement provides for the ball 21 to travel in a path along the groove 22 from one end of the arcuate member 20 to the other, movement of the ball along this path being determined by the position of the sighting device so that the ball is responsive to gravity and is readily displaced thereby.

As is shown in FIGURE 2, a pair of transparent glass plates or discs 23 and 24 are provided on opposite sides of the shoulder or rib 17 and the arcuate member 20 as well. The discs 23 and 24 preferably are press-fitted through the bore of the sighting tube body 15 and are aligned parallel with respect to each other by abutment engagement with the annular rib 17 and the arcuate member 20, the latter being of the same width as the rib 17. This construction provides for the confinement of the ball within a chamber 25 defined by the inner opposing surfaces 26 and 27 of the rear and front discs 23 and 24, respectively, the annular rib 17, and the grooved side of the arcuate member 20.

A vertical sighting line is provided on at least one of the discs and preferably on both discs 23 and 24. Thus, by scoring, marking or similar placement, the rear vertical sighting line 28 is provided on the outer surface of the rear disc 23, and the front vertical sighting line 29 is provided on the outer surface of the front disc 24. As can be seen from FIGURE 1, the vertical sighting lines are placed in parallel alignment on the discs along the vertical plane of the discs and the sighting tube body 15. Construction in this fashion permits the gravity responsive ball to roll for lateral tilt of the bow during aiming while the scored vertical lines in the discs provide for correction of bow twisting or torque. All corrective sighting means are employed in connection with the eye of the archer and the intended target by means of visual alignment thereof for precision sighting.

A pair of thin-walled retainer tubes 30 and 31 are press-fit into oppsite respective ends of the sighting tube body 15 to retain the parallel discs23 and 24, respec- 4 tively, in position within the bore of the body 15. The retainer tubes 30 and 31 are sutficiently long as to extend beyond the open ends of the sighting tube body 15 for ease in assembly as well as to provide additional shielding against incident and reflective light that might interfere with the sighting operation.

Referring to FIGURE 3, there is seen an enlarged view of the arcuate member 20 for carrying the ball 21. It should be noted that the arcuate member is provided with a groove 22 which is deep enough to avoid engagement of the bottom thereof with the ball 21. Thereby, the ball 21 rests on the parallel corners 33 and 34 which serves two purposes, namely, greatly reduces the friction encountered during rolling of the ball because of effectively only two-point contact therewith, and maintains the ball away from contact with either of the inner surfaces of the discs 23 and 24 so as to prevent scratching or other marring thereof. Thus, a feature of the present invention resides in this manner of ball mounting since the object of the sighting device is to obtain accurate sighting with a minimum of either visual obstruction or frictional delay in the actuation and operation of the device.

Referring to FIGURE 4, wherein a modified sighting device of the present invention is shown fully assembled, the center of the gravity responsive ball 21 is properly aligned with the vertical rear sight line 28 on the disc 23 1 but, due to the parallax occasioned by the perspective curve of the arcuate member 20 to eliminate tilting or canting, an unnecessarily high factor of visual acuity ;is required of the archer to both perceive and correct for i such misalignment which is visually slight but actually large in terms of the effect upon the arrow upon release of the bow string and its subsequent travel in the misaligned direction, as can be seen from the obvious mist alignment of the front vertical sight line 29'. Therefore, an extended front retainer tube 31 is provided with a third transparent glass disc 35 having a front vertical sight line 29 which is physically in parallel alignment with the rear sight line 28 along the longitudinal axis and 1 the central vertical plane of the sighting tube body 15 so that the archer can correct more easily for the twist misalignment illustrated in FIGURE 4 until visual alignment of both the front and rear sight lines, as evidenced by visual coincidence of such lines, as well as the bisection of the ball 21 by such visually coincident lines so as to have the appearance as illustrated in FIGURE 1.1 The:

front inner retainer tube 31' is provided with an enlarged bore 37 which provides an annular shoulder 38 against which the front third disc 35 is securely seated as by pressfit engagement with the bore 37. As now should be clear, the two vertical sight lines 28 and 29' on the rear and front discs 23 and 35, respectively, serve as spaced sighting points for improved correction of twist or torque of the bow which otherwise would cause lateral forces resulting in horizontal deflection of the arrow upon release of the bow string during firing and subsequent flight of the arrow.

Therefore, the gravity responsive ball 21 and the arcuate member 20 permit correction for tilting or canting of the bow in a vertical .plane at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the sighting device, such longitudinal axis being the sight line between the eye of the archer and the target. when proper aiming procedures are employed, and the two longitudinally separated vertical lines are alignable to permit correction of twisting or torquing of the bow about some vertical axis of the bow. When properly aimed and sighted, the vertical sight lines will be in visually coincident alignment so as to appear as a single composite line, and the ball 21 will appear to be both superimposed on the intended target and bisected by such composite vertical line.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention in its broader aspects, and, therefore, the aim in the appended claimsis to cover all such changes and modifieations as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed is: V

1. A11 archery sighting device comprisingi a hollow symmetrical body adapted to be attached to a bow with its longitudinal axis in alignment with the line of sight for the bow; v

a stationary arcuate member rigidly disposed within said body symmetrically with respect to the central vertical plane of said body, with the center of said member'extending below the central horizontal plane of said body and the opposite ends thereof lying on the central horizontal axis ofsaid body;

means connecting the opposite ends of said member to said body; w p

a gravity responsive ball supported by said member for rolling thereon between the opposite ends thereof;

a pair of transparent parallel plates mounted in said body on opposite sides of said member in abutment therewith-for enclosing and retaining said ball on said member; and 7 at least one of said pair of plates having a vertical sight line marking thereon residing in such central vertical plane whereby said ball appears to be bisected by said sight line when said ball rests on the center of said arcuate member.

2. A sighting device in accordance with claim 1 Wherein said arcuate member is provided with a central groove along its length for partially receiving said ball, said groove being narrower than the diameter of said ball and deeper than the extension of said ball into said groove whereby said ball rides in only two-point contact on said member, said arcuate member being wider than said ball whereby said ball is separated from said plates while rolling on said member.

3. A sighting device in accordance with claim 1 wherein each of said pair of plates has a respective vertical sight line marking thereon parallel to each other and residing in such central vertical plane whereby visual alignment of both such sight lines with each other and so as to appear to bisect said ball tends to assure alignment of the longitudinal axis of said body with the line of sight to a target.

4. An archery sighting device comprising:

a hollow symmetrical body adapted to be attached to a bow with its longitudinal axis in alignment with the line of sight for the bow;

an arcuate member disposed within said body symmetrically with respect to the central vertical plane of said body, with the center of said member below the central horizontal plane of said body;

said body having an internal rib, said rib being provided with a pair of opposing longitudinal slots for receiving opposite ends of said arcuate member;

a gravity responsive ball supported by said member for rolling thereon;

a pair of transparent parallel plates mounted in said body on opposite sides of said member in abutment therewith; and

at least one of said pair of plates having a vertical sight line marked thereon residing in such central vertical plane whereby said ball appears to be bisected by said sight line when said ball rests on the center of .said arcuate member.

5. A sighting device in accordance with claim 4 further comprising a ,pair of retainer tubes disposed in press-fit engagement with said body internally thereof and at op-.

posite ends thereof, each of said tubes being in abutment ing on said member.

7. An archery sighting device comprising:

a hollow cylindrical body adapted to be attached to bow with its longitudinal axis in alignment with the line of sight for the bow;

an arcuate member disposed within said body symmetrically with respect to the central vertical plane of said body with the center of said member below the central horizontal plane of said body;

a gravity response ball supported by said member for rolling thereon;

a pair of transparent parallel discs mounted in said body on opposite sides of said member in abutment therewith;

a rear tube and a front tube disposed in press-fit engagement with said body internally thereof and at opposite ends thereof, each of said tubes being in abutment against a respective one-of said pair of discs for retention thereof;

a third transparent disc mounted in said front tube parallel to and a distance spaced from said pair of discs; and

each of said third disc and at least one of said pair of discs having a respective front and rear vertical sight line marking thereon residing in such central vertical plane, whereby said ball appears to be bisected by said rear sight line when said ball rests on the center of said arcuate member for assuring true vertical disposition of said central vertical plane, and whereby said front and rear sight lines appear as a single composite line when the central vertical plane is aligned with the line of sight to assure alignment of the central vertical plane with the intended target.

8. A sighting device in accordance with claim 7 wherein said arcuate member is provided with a central groove along its length for partially receiving said ball, said groove being narrower than the diameter of said ball and deeper than the extension of said ball into said groove whereby said ball rides in onlyt wo-point contact on said member, said arcuate member being wider than said ball whereby said ball is separated from said discs while rolling on said member.

9. A sighting device in accordance with claim 7 wherein said body :has an internal annular rib, said rib being provided with a pair of opposing longitudinal slots for receiving opposite ends of said arcuate member.

10. An archery sighting device comprising:

a hollow cylindrical body adapted to be attached to a bow with its longitudinal axis in alignment with the line of sight for the how;

an arcuate member disposed within said body symmetrically with respect to the central vertical plane of said body with the center of said member below the central horizontal plane of said body;

said body having an internal annular rib, said rib being provided with a pair of opposing longitudinal slots for receiving opposite ends of said arcuate member;

a gravity responsive ball supported by said member for rolling thereon;

.a pair of transparent parallel discs mounted in said 'body on opposite sides of said member in abutment therewith; and

at least one of said pair of discs having a vertical sight line marked thereon residing in such central vertical plane whereby said ball appears to be bisected by 7 said sight line when said ball rests on the center of said arcuate member.

11. An archery sighting device comprising:

a hollow cylindrical body adapted to be attached to a bow with its longitudinal axis in alignment with the line of sight for the bow;

an arcuate member disposed within said body symmetrically with respect to the central vertical plane of said body with the center of said member below the central horizontal plane of said body;-

a gravity responsive ball supported by said member for rolling thereon;

a pair of transparent parallel discs mounted in said body on opposite sides of said member in abutment therewith;

each of said pair of discs having a respective vertical sight line marking thereon parallel to each other and residing in such central vertical plane whereby visual alignment of both such sight lines with each other and so as to appear to bisect said ball when said ball rests on the center of said arcuate member which tends to assure alignment of the longitudinal axis of said body with the line of sight to target; and

a pair of retainer tubes disposed in press-fit engagement with said body internally thereof and at opposite ends thereof, each of said tubes being in abutment against a respectiveone of said discs for retention thereof.

12. A sighting device in accordance with claim 9 wherein said gravity responsive ball is movably enclosed between said pair of transparent parallel discs and between '8 said arcuate member and a portion of said cylindrical body.

13. A sighting device in accordance with claim 12 wherein said body includes an external groove formed therein adaptable for receiving mounting fixtures for securing the sighting device onto the bow. v

14. A sighting device in accordance with claim 13 wherein said arcuate member is composed of metal and said transparent discs are composed of low surfiace triction material.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS (Ad. to 525,321

LEONARD FORMAN, Primary Examiner.

ISAAC LISANN, Examiner. B. A. DONAHU E, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN ARCHERY SIGHTING DEVICE COMPRISING: A HOLLOW SYMMETRICAL BODY ADAPTED TO BE ATTACHED TO A BOW WITH ITS LONGITUDINAL AXIS IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE LINE OF SIGHT FOR THE BOW; A STATIONARY ARCUATE MEMBER RIGIDLY DISPOSED WITHIN SAID BODY SYMMETRICALLY WITH RESPECT TO THE CENTRAL VERTICAL PLANE OF SAID BODY, WITH THE CENTER OF SAID MEMBER EXTENDING BELOW THE CENTRAL HORIZONTAL PLANE OF SAID BODY AND THE OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF LYING ON THE CENTRAL HORIZONTAL AXIS OF SAID BODY; MEANS CONNECTING THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID MEMBER TO SAID BODY; A GRAVITY RESPONSIVE BALL SUPPORTED BY SAID MEMBER FOR ROLLING THEREON BETWEEN THE OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF; A PAIR OF TRANSPARENT PARALLEL PLATES MOUNTED IN SAID BODY ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID MEMBER IN ABUTMENT THEREWITH FOR ENCLOSING AND RETAINING SAID BALL ON SAID MEMBER; AND AT LEAST ONE OF SAID PAIR OF PLATES HAVING A VERTICAL SIGHT LINE MAKING THEREON RESIDING IN SUCH CENTRAL VERTICAL PLANE WHEREBY SAID BALL APPEARS TO BE BISECTED BY SAID SIGHT LINE WHEN SAID BALL RESTS ON THE CENTER OF SAID ARCUATE MEMBER. 